Volunteers, donations needed for Meals on Wheels Pet Pals Program

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Senior Resources, Inc. is wanting for volunteers and donations for its Pet Friends Software. A section of Meals on Wheels, this program delivers absolutely free pet food items to senior people in Richland County. 

“Seniors nowadays are actually experiencing so quite a few worries and so a lot of concerns, the past matter we want their fear to be is how their pet, their furry companion is heading to be fed for the month,” mentioned Development Coordinator Dargan Davis.

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Just one Saturday a month, volunteers decide on up pet food, load it into a automobile and deliver it to purchasers.

“A good deal of instances these animals are their only resource of companionship. Our senior consumers dwell at household, they are dealing with isolation and whenever we are in a position to give them with a month’s provide of pet food stuff, they no more time have to pick out in between a economical choice,” Davis reported. “They can feed their animals and they can feed themselves.”

Davis suggests the program began soon after senior methods realized some of the inhabitants they served have been getting their foodstuff from Foods on Wheels and feeding portion of it to their animals. 

Volunteer Christy Minion claims when she heard about this, she preferred to enable out.

“I believe that it will help hold every person likely,” she mentioned. “I imagine that the animals are more healthy, the persons are more healthy, and it is just that enjoy and that bond that you can not miss. That we just all…I experience like we all will need it.”

Vaughan Hill is just one of the inhabitants that Minion provides pet food stuff to every thirty day period. He claims he has a particular bond with his canines, Rocky and Harley. 

Hill suggests given that the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his wife have struggled creating ends satisfy. Luckily, Pet Buddies was there to assistance.

“It really can help make confident I can maintain them all fed superior,” he claimed. “And just to see sometimes when she arrives in herself and to see the conversation, they just adore her. Yeah. They really like her.”

Hill is just a person of the quite a few 52 clientele pet friends serves, who have a mixed 82 cats and canine. Davis states this selection continues to develop.

“This method is run by donations from the local community. So the a lot more donations that we get of pet foods – and that includes cat and pet meals, dry food stuff, wet foodstuff – the far more food items we acquire right here at Senior Assets, the much more animals we can feed through Richland County.”

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Davis suggests the need extends past providing food for furry close friends.

“A volunteer that provides the month-to-month source of pet food not only is supplying the pet with nutrition, it is also a wellness check out,” she said. “They’re obtaining to interact with the senior, they’re having to, you know, verify in, say hello.”

Minion states her beloved aspect of volunteering with the system is how several men and women – and pets – she will get to fulfill. 

“It is amazing staying in a position to see their smiling faces anytime I come for my visits. It is every thing from the purchasers to the pets,” she stated. “You get to deliver the food items and it is just one less point they have to fear about day-to-working day or thirty day period-to-month.”

Senior Methods can take specific donations, as well as donations from enterprises, civic groups and companies. If you are intrigued in serving to, you can obtain additional info at SeniorResourcesInc.org. You can also call 803-252-7734 or e-mail [email protected].